Falta de representatividade no parlamento brasileiro devido ao sistema de eleições proporcionais

Abstract

the present study examined the theme of state, constitution, and democracy from the perspective of the deficit of representativeness in the brazilian parliament, linked to the open-list proportional electoral system. the research analyzed how proportional elections, although originally structured to express political plurality, operated in practice as a mechanism that reproduced institutional and social imbalances, restricting the access of historically underrepresented social groups to legislative seats. the study adopted a deductive-analytical method with a qualitative approach, combining doctrinal review in constitutional and electoral law, analysis of official electoral data, and systemic comparisons with foreign models that applied stronger affirmative policies and mixed formulas for seat distribution. the results demonstrated that mechanisms such as the open-list model, intraparty candidate competition, high campaign costs, party fragmentation, and federal distortions weakened the material equality of political representation and reduced the democratic legitimacy of the legislative branch in relation to the country’s social composition. the hypothesis initially raised was confirmed, evidencing that the brazilian proportional system, in its current design, contributed significantly to the lack of social mirroring within parliament. the study concluded that overcoming this representational deficit required structural reforms combined with stronger affirmative measures, institutional enhancement, and transformation of political culture as indispensable elements for improving the quality of constitutional democracy in Brazil.